Unit 1: The Great American West

1.1: The Western Experience: Life on the Plains

Brief Timeline of Westward Expansion post Civil War

Directions: Create 2 columns – date & event/explanation. Leave 4-5 lines (depending on your handwriting) between each date. Copy the following dates in the appropriate column.

1862 1865 (2 events happen … leave extra space) 1886 1870 1874 1887 1889 1890

IntroductionAfter the Civil War, many

Americans took to the trail & headed west. Though they share the common experience of settling

the west, their individual experiences differ.

Government incentives & new technologies made settling the

Great Plains attractive & profitable.

Reasons for Western Population Explosion

2 main reasons for the population increase in the west

1. Farming/Ranching become profitable

2. Discovery of gold/silver

Push & Pull Factors

Push Factors– Cause people to

leave their home• Debt, overcrowded

cities, war, etc…

– Reasons people left

Pull Factors– Attract people to a

certain place• Cheap land,

gold/silver, religious freedom

Mining Population The discovery of gold & silver lodes in the Rocky

Mountains & Montana led to a huge population boom in the west

– Eventually leads to statehood

More people began to move west due to the discovery of more gold & silver

– Most heading to in California & Colorado– Immigrants, Civil War Vets

As mining population grew, wealthy people bought out claims of individual miners, who then began to mine for the companies

– BAD WORKING CONDITIONS/PAY!

Boom Towns: Cities that sprang up around gold/silver mines

– As word got out about a lode, more people came to mine it trying to get rich

– Originated as tent cities, eventually grew into towns

Farmer Population Amount of farmers increased in the west

The Homestead Act of 1862 gave 160 acres of land to those who promised to farm it

– Spreads Union influence

The Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 gave states land to create agricultural colleges to educate homesteaders (Farmer Education)

Dry Farming: Planting drought resistant crops & using mulch to maintain moisture

– Learned from Mexican farmers

Life on the Great Plains Settlers lived in sod houses

– Why?

Life revolved around the seasons– Everyone worked in the fields

during planting & harvesting– Sometimes, families joined

together to complete this task

Men worked the fields, women & children did everything else!

– Cook, clean, tend livestock, schooling, etc.

Often lived far from other neighbors

Hard life for very little reward!

Role of Women in the West

“Could do her chores in the morning, give birth in the afternoon, & get back to work in the evening to make diner”

Civilized mining & cattle towns– Called for libraries, theaters,

schools– Became doctors, teachers, etc.

Gained the right to vote in the mid-late 1800s

– Women in Montana began voting in 1869, & most western women had earned the right to vote by 1910

– Eastern women were still fighting for the right!

Longhorns

Cattle with horns 5-6 ft. across Brought by Spanish settlers

Could forage food, needed little water – perfect for life on the Plains Raising longhorns provided a way of life for many Western settlers

– Beef was in high demand after the Civil War & earned high prices

Open range herding: Cattle roam & graze freely on open range – Practiced by many cattle ranchers on the Great Plains

– Ended with the invention of barbed wire (FENCES)

Cattle Drive

Route cowboys used to herd cattle to the major rail head in Dodge City, Kansas Main route was the Chisholm Trail

– Herds would be transported to the slaughterhouses– In Texas, a steer = $3; in Chicago, a steer = $40

10 cowboys to herd of 3,000: Very dangerous – STAMPEDES!! Took 2-3 months

Mexican Influence American cowboys learned from

Mexican cowboys (Vaqueros)

Food, clothes & vocab influenced

Cowboy Vocabulary!!

Hot Rocks: Biscuits Belly Wash: Coffee

Axle Grease: Butter Strawberries: Beans

Hen Fruit: Eggs Splatter Dabs: Pancakes

Real Life Cowboys

25% African American

12% Mexican

Up around 3:30AM & worked until sundown

Worked through Spring & Summer, living off savings for winter

Cowboys sang to the herds to calm them down

Not like Hollywood

African-Americans in the West Freed slaves left violence

in the South in hopes of a better life

– Own land, start fresh– Have more freedoms

in the west

Buffalo Soldiers: Army regiments of all black troops

– Could only serve west of the Mississippi River

• Why?

– To protect border with Mexico & the Western frontier

– Many also became cowboys

Problems in the West Many began to breed cattle due

to bad winters & droughts Overgrazing Drought High Heat

– Potatoes were baked in the ground!

Prairie fires Blizzards

– Lost 40%-90% of cattle Grasshopper Plagues 4 of 5 families moved back east.

Big Inventions to Help Farmers

Hard sod made farming difficult

Improved steel plow made in possible to break up tough ground

Steel Windmill helped farmers bring water up from the ground

Refrigerated Boxcar allowed products to be transported faster & fresher than before

Railroads transported goods across country

Grain Drills allowed farmers to plant several rows at once – efficient!

Threshing machines removed wheat from plant easier

Barbed Wire allowed for fences & ends open range herding

In order to get farmers supplies, the government expanded the railroads– Railroads reached the new markets in the west

Eminent Domain states that the government can/will take private land for public use, as long as it pays a fair price for it

– Used to expand the railroads west You can’t say no, as it’s protected under the 5th Amendment

The Transcontinental Railroad

Companies: Union Pacific & Central Pacific

Who Built It: Immigrants were used to build the railroads

– Mainly Chinese & Irish– African Americans & Mexicans,

too.

Dangerous working conditions

The Transcontinental Railroad

Built Where: through the middle of the country

– Purpose: Transported goods to & from farms on the Great Plains

– Impact: • Destroyed Native American

culture• Opened new markets in the

west

Promontory Point, UT: Where the 2 railroads meet – railroad complete

– The Golden Spike

Problems Causes by the Railroads

Problems for Native Americans

– Killed off buffalo– Took more land– Destroyed the Plains

Tribes

Problems for Farmers

– Charged higher prices for settlers in the West!!